This is another clear case of our national disgrace-it is the failure of this country to tackle this gun hysteria. Our rightie friends say that we need guns to protect ourselves. From what? From people with guns? Please!

The "Gun Nuts" who are hysterically and effectively empowered by organizations such as the NRA refuse to come to a rational conclusion about guns. Many countries including France, England, Sweden, Italy, Japan allow private ownership of hunting guns.
Why can't we reach a reasonable consensus in the country.

Somehow and some way the parents and families of these kids have to wake up reality for these kids. They are killing a generation.

Of these young people, how many come from families that include two parents. It seems that many of the problems are related to single parent families. We don't ever appear to ask these questions but clearly families with a single parent often a single mother face significant disadvantages and pressures.

Remove guns from the law abiding citizen & what do you have- ONLY THE CRIMINALS have guns & the Law abiding citizen has NO WAY to protect themself.

The non profit organization called 'Art Of Living' is very active to help students to get rid of their stress and get out of the violence. Now they have started YES(Youth Empowerment Seminar program in some Chicago school and looks like students are responding to them and they are happy. Please look at the site http://www.artofliving.org and yogathon.iahv.org

So, every one of those guns were used by someone in a crime, including the 800 bought for criminals. Gee. Maybe the solution is to hold those people responsible for their actions? Of course, it's much easier and politcally correct to blame a piece of plastic and metal than offend someone by insinuating that what they chose to do was wrong.

So why aren't people talking about banning guns? I hear daily about people being shot in this country but never about banning guns. If we would addresses this issue from banning guns things might happen.

It is sad and unfortunate but until we can get the gun sellers who live without a concious and sell to teens and even children the guns will remain on the streets. Children and teens who live through what they see on t.v. think they are untouchable. Maybe the Guardian Angels should walk the streets. Maybe that would make a difference.

hello all
why is it that in our part of the country most everyone owns a gun
and on any weekend you can see shooting ranges full and people enjoying their sport.
we have very little problem with gun shootings or assults
maybe its not the guns but the people in these areas that are the problem. punish the criminals not the sport.

If CNN really cared about Chicago's poor children, this piece would have focused on their environment – broken homes, illiteracy and semi-illiteracy, dysfunctional public schools, drug use, lack of responsibility and discipline, permissive attitudes, culture of dependency on the state, poor work ethic, etc., etc. all made even more toxic and dangerous by a gun ban on law-abiding citizens. Thankfully, that will soon be overturned as a result of the Heller ruling. All in all a weak, transparent, anti-gun, hack piece. You can do much better, I think. Put Lou Dobbs on it!

I am not sure that the logic surrounding the implementation of more strict gun laws is sound. Why do we assume that people who violate laws against murder, rape, burglary and other crimes would adhere to laws governing the restriction of guns? Would not such anti-gun laws simply ensure that those who would commit such crimes would be armed while law-abiding citizens would be unarmed?

Kind of makes gun control look stupid doesn't it. What happens to those people that bought guns legally, who gives them to someone else? Fine or jail time seems appropriate. Was upsets me is that in listening to the news I do not hear about the police, other than they show up, after the fact!

Wow. re: " it’s illegal to buy, own and carry firearms" I would have loved to hear the exceptions, would that be police types?

It will be interesting to know where the 10000 guns and the 365 assault weapons are coming from and who owns them?

I'm guessing the 800 bought by non- criminals -for criminals – are devoted girlfriends helping their men?

So the vast majority of traced guns are purchased illegally. Yes, I realize that the 800 number doesn't include legally purchased weapons that were stolen, but that won't add much more to the number of legally acquired firearms that are used in crimes.

It isn't legally-acquired weapons that are causing the carnage in Chicago. It's the criminals - no, wait, the "kids" - no, sorry, it's the "children."

Update- There is a Bill HR45 that will effectivly take the Guns out of the Publics hands So that the Criminals & Government will be the Only ones that have access to guns- They had better Ban Everything else while they are at it- Bows & arrows,swords,sling shots, wrist rockets,All fireworks,Cars,Planes,Trains,Household Cleaning suplies, Nails, Nail guns & Air compressors, Glass, Knives,forks, rocks, Gasoline, Diesel, Oil, as all these are also effective weapons & are quite capable of killing someone.